Meet Dashi and Miso – Love At First Bento’s adorable kitty mascots!

Designed by the phenomenal Rosey Cheekes, these two kitties would love to help you build your next bento box! Read their bios below to learn more.

Dashi

Name: Dashi

Dashi believes she is a feline princess, and as such prefers to be addressed as “Princess Dashi”.

Breed: Ragdoll

Gender: Female

Favorite Food: Bonito flakes & tuna.

Dashi vastly prefers having her food served to her in china dishes, as well as for the food to be slightly warmed. A sprinkling of bonito flakes atop her food is a treat she can’t get enough of. She will often, unknowingly, have bonito flakes stuck to the fur around her mouth and nose after licking her dish clean.

Favorite Toy: Catnip pillows, laser pointers.

Anything containing catnip will have Dashi acting like a very mischievous princess in no time. She is also (secretly) very fond of chasing around laser pointers.

Has a thing for chopsticks; she has been caught, on more than one occasion, delicately batting at chopsticks left out on the kitchen counter

Shy around strangers, but very affectionate towards her owner

Miso

Name: Miso

Breed: tabby (shorthair)

Gender: male

Favorite Food: salmon & chicken

Whenever his owner is cutting or preparing chicken or salmon, Miso will not leave her side.

Favorite Toy: catnip mice & bouncy balls

Miso is very playful – he will play with just about anything! He loves to chase around Dashi, and will try to play with her (whether she wants to or not).

Likes:

Getting attention; in fact, he can get quite “salty” if he sees Dashi receiving too much attention

Hiding in cardboard boxes; will often ambush passerbys from within them

Sitting on counters and attacking people as they walk by

“Helping out” with the dishes by sitting in the sink and attacking the dripping water from the faucet

Nibbling at fresh herbs being grown by his owner

Unique Traits:

Easily becomes jealous; if Dashi is getting attention, then he must receive equal or more

Can jump up anywhere; Miso is often found sleeping atop the highest kitchen cupboards

Drinks out of cups by sticking his paw in and then licking the liquid off his paw

A bit of a scaredy cat

Is adept at opening the pantry door (even when it is “cat-proofed”!)

DID YOU KNOW?

Dashi and Miso are named after staple Japanese ingredients that can be found in any Japanese kitchen. When combined, they create miso soup, one of Japan’s most popular dishes.

Dashi is a fish stock that, classically, is made from konbu (dried kelp) and katsuoboshi (bonito flakes). It is a pivotal ingredient in Japanese cooking, and acts as the foundation for many popular dishes, such as miso soup and chawanmushi (egg custard).

Miso is a fermented soybean paste, and is used to make miso soup and miso-flavored ramen. It comes in two main varieties: red and white. Red miso pastes tend to be saltier and more potently flavored, whereas white miso pastes are milder and less salty.

PS: Can’t get enough Dashi and Miso? You’ll find them featured on the Love At First Bento bento menu cards, which you can get for free by subscribing here.

About me

Meet Shannon, a budding bento box artist who’s passionate about creating bentos that are both delicious and adorable. She has an unhealthy obsession with Lolita clothing, all things Hello Kitty, and stuffed animals. Learn More >>